Georgia – Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has announced plans for a new bill that would make it illegal to change the weather on purpose. Greene said in a series of posts on X that she would soon introduce a bill that would make it a crime to inject, release, or spread substances into the air with the goal of changing the weather, temperatures, or amounts of sunlight.
Greene says that the idea comes from a new law in Florida that makes it a crime to change the weather without permission, including cloud seeding without permission. The punishment for this crime can be up to five years in prison and fines of up to $100,000. Florida’s act, which took effect on July 1, was signed by Governor Ron DeSantis amid escalating debates about weather control and geoengineering.
Greene said her bill would be like the legislation in Florida and show that she thinks no person, business, or government should be able to modify the weather on purpose.
“I am introducing a bill that prohibits the injection, release, or dispersion of chemicals or substances into the atmosphere for the express purpose of altering weather, temperature, climate, or sunlight intensity. It will be a felony offense,” Greene wrote. “I have been researching weather modification and working with the legislative counsel for months writing this bill. It will be similar to Florida’s Senate Bill 56. We must end the dangerous and deadly practice of weather modification and geoengineering.”
At least one of Greene’s colleagues has already said they support the bill. Greene revealed in another social media post that Tennessee Representative Tim Burchett is a cosponsor. They both believe that atmospheric manipulation should be completely illegal.
Conspiracy theories have long focused on the idea of changing the weather, especially the idea that “chemtrails”—the white trails that can sometimes be seen behind planes—are proof of hidden efforts to manipulate the weather or even people’s minds.
But scientific groups like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have said over and over that these trails, called contrails, are just condensation that forms when hot jet exhaust meets cold air at high altitudes and don’t pose a risk to the public.
Greene stoked speculation about possible government involvement in weather events after Hurricane Helene last year, which killed at least 227 people. He said that officials could be able to manipulate storms. This context appears to have motivated her continued focus on legislative action.
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It is still unclear if Greene’s plan will make it past the House of Representatives, where it would need more support to become law. Until then, the plan is expected to stir considerable debate over the legitimacy of weather modification concerns and whether legislation should address them directly.
